Dothan residents can comment by July 31 on draft 2026 CDBG plan

Dothan residents and local organizations have until Friday, July 31, 2026, to comment on a draft plan that would guide approximately $557,721 in federal Community Development Block Grant funding during the city’s 2026 program year.

The draft 2026 Annual Action Plan also identifies $16,000 in prior-year CDBG funds for proposed reprogramming. The plan is not final, and the proposed allocations and activities remain subject to public input and approval.

What the draft plan proposes

The proposed spending focuses on housing conditions, senior housing, public services, nonprofit facilities and neighborhood infrastructure. The city’s draft identifies funding for critical home repair and weatherization, rental housing rehabilitation, public services and facility improvements.

One housing proposal would direct $126,000 to the Banyan Foundation’s Moody Senior Village project. The draft describes the project as a proposed 63-unit affordable rental development for residents age 55 and older, combining adaptive reuse of the former Moody Hospital building with new construction. The proposal is not a completed development or a guarantee that all units will be available.

The plan also proposes about $20,063 for Wiregrass Habitat’s critical home repair program. The draft anticipates assistance for roughly three low- and moderate-income households through repair and weatherization work. Eligibility and implementation details can vary by activity, so residents should not assume that every household will qualify.

Sidewalks, facilities and public services

Among the infrastructure proposals is $57,000 for ADA sidewalk and accessibility improvements along West Adams Street between Blackshear Street and North Alice Street. The draft says the work could include replacing damaged sidewalk sections, upgrading curb ramps, improving driveway turnouts, adding crosswalk striping and making related curb, gutter and site repairs.

Other proposed activities include improvements at nonprofit facilities, parking-lot reconstruction, weatherization work and youth, family-support, workforce and homelessness-prevention services. The draft groups public services at 15% of the CDBG allocation, public facility and infrastructure projects at 52%, housing projects at 25% and program administration at 8%.

How to review the plan and submit comments

Copies of the draft plan and related documents are available through the city’s Documents for Public Review and Comment page. The city’s notice also lists the Dothan-Houston County Library System’s Downtown Branch at 445 N. Oates St., the Planning and Development Department at 126 N. St. Andrews St. and the Dothan Housing Authority at 1001 Montana St. as review locations.

Written comments may be mailed to the City of Dothan Planning and Development Department, 126 N. St. Andrews St., Dothan, AL 36302, or emailed to twells@dothan.org. The city notice says comments must be submitted before the close of business on Friday, July 31, 2026.

What happens next

The Dothan City Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 4, 2026, in the Commission Chambers at 126 North St. Andrews Street. The hearing is intended to receive comments on the draft plan during the commission’s regular meeting.

The proposed program year would run from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027. Final funding decisions may change after the public-comment period and the city’s approval process.

Sources

• Documents for Public Review and Comment